Bill Introduced In Senate To Bring Back 245(i) [under S. 2493, the Uniting Families Act of 2002]

[Congressional Record: May 9, 2002 (Senate)]
[Page S4147-S4165]
From the Congressional Record Online via GPO Access
[wais.access.gpo.gov]
[DOCID:cr09my02-97]

STATEMENTS ON INTRODUCED BILLS AND JOINT RESOLUTIONS

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By Mr. DASCHLE (for himself, Mr. Kennedy, and Mr. Dodd):

S. 2493. A bill to amend the immigration and Nationality Act to provide a limited extension of the program under section 245(i) of that Act; to the Committee on the Judiciary.

Mr. DASCHLE. Mr. President, yesterday, the House passed the border security legislation, and I expect it will become law very soon. Passage of the border security bill was an important first step in moving forward with comprehensive immigration reform, and it was one of the Democratic Principles that Representative Gephardt and I introduced last fall.

Unfortunately, another important provision was not included in the border security legislation, the extension of section 245(i). It would allow families to stay together in this country while waiting to become permanent residents.

As I have said on many occasions, I am strongly committed to a meaningful 245(i) extension. Regrettably, the House waited 6 months to act on 245(i) legislation that the Senate passed last September. This delay meant that key provisions in the bill became unworkable. The House-passed version contained hard deadlines that would have required applicants to have established familial or employment relationships before August 2001. These deadlines would have imposed impractical hurdles for immigrant families to overcome.

Today, I am pleased to announce that I am introducing a new 245(i) extension bill that would remove these hard deadlines. My bill would move the application deadline to April 30, 2003, and maintain current prohibitions against fraudulent marriages and national security protections.

This bill mirrors the version that was introduced by Senators Hagel and Kennedy last spring, and it should receive strong bipartisan support. I know both the President and Senator Lott have repeatedly expressed their desire to pass 245(i) legislation. It is my hope that they will work with me to help get it passed very soon.

I ask unanimous consent that the text of the bill be printed in the Record.

There being no objection, the bill was ordered to be printed in the Record, as follows:

Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled,

(a) Extension of Filing Deadline.--Section 245(i)(1)(B)(i) of the Immigration and Nationality Act (8 U.S.C. 1255(i)(1)(B)(i)) is amended by striking ``on or before April 30, 2001'' and inserting ``on or before April 30, 2003''.

(b) Exclusion of Certain Inadmissible and Deportable Aliens.--The amendment made by subsection (a) shall not apply to any alien who is--
(1) inadmissible under section 212(a)(3), or deportable under section 237(a)(4), of the Immigration and Nationality Act (relating to security and related grounds); or
(2) deportable under section 237(a)(1)(G) of such Act (relating to marriage fraud).
(c) Effective Date.--The amendment made by subsection (a) shall apply to applicants for adjustment of status who are beneficaries of petitions for classification or applications for labor certifications filed before, on, or after the date of enactment of this Act.

Mr. KENNEDY. Mr. President, since September 11, Congress has taken significant steps to strengthen the security of our borders and improve our immigration system. Last month, the Senate passed important legislation to strengthen border security, improve our ability to screen foreign nationals, and enhance our ability to deter potential terrorists. In addition, Senator Brownback and I recently introduced legislation to restructure the Immigration and Naturalization Service so that the agency is better prepared to address security concerns.

As we work to respond to the security issues before us, we can't lose sight of the other immigration issues that are still a priority. I'm pleased to join Senator Daschle in moving forward with one of those issues today by introducing the Uniting Families Act of 2002. This legislation extends section 245(i), a vital provision of U.S. immigration law which allows individuals who already legally qualify for permanent residency to process their applications in the United States, without returning to their homes countries.

Without 245(i), immigrants are forced to leave their families here in the U.S. and risk separation from them for up to 10 years. Seventy-five percent of the people who have used 245(i) are the spouses and children of U.S. citizens and permanent residents. Extending this critical provision will help keep families together and help businesses retain critical workers. In addition, the INS will receive millions of dollars in additional revenues, at no cost to taxpayers.

Extending 245(i) does not provide any loopholes for potential terrorists. Instead, it will improve the monitoring of immigrants already residing in this country. Individuals who qualify for permanent residency and process their applications in the U.S. are subject to rigorous background checks and interviews. This process provides the government a good opportunity to investigate individuals who are in this country and determine whether they should be allowed to remain here.

Section 245(i) does not provide amnesty to immigrants or any benefits to anyone suspected of marriage fraud. The provision provides no protection from deportation if someone is here illegally and no right to surpass other immigrants waiting for visas.

The House passed legislation recently to extend section 245(i), but it was too restrictive to provide any meaningful assistance. The Uniting Families Act will extend the filing deadline to April 30, 2003, and provide needed and well-deserved relief to members of our immigrant communities.

I urge my colleagues to join us in supporting this needed extension.

______

If any of them are here ILLEGALLY then they should be rounded up like cattle and Drove back across the BOARDER from where they come, plus being implanted with non-removable chips that would Ring Bells of intrusion anywhere they tried to invade this country again.

SON OF A B!T@H!!! This MOTHER-GRABBING pile of fecal matter is going to screw us all AGAIN? Just like he did in 1965 with his "Family reunification" bill that opened the floodgates to the Third World? And now he's doing it again? That SWINE! That PIG! That INSUFFERABLE ..........

Must stop......Must contain myself.......need a drink.....a nice drink would be nice right about now...........

This bill needs to be opposed. Where do we begin?

Where do we begin?

There is no beginning because there is no end.

I have called, FAX'ed, written, and emailed everybody that I can think of. Nada, zero, zip, zilch!!

NUMBERS USA seems to be doing a pretty good job of getting the message out with their free FAX service.

Just keep plugging away.

It's going to get awfully crowded with Fox and Casteneda in there also.

Oh I forgot - The Mexican Senate has Fox hogtied for the moment. Hee Hee Hee!!

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